Imp
Common Parlance: Imp Taxonomy: Mortalis Infernalis Life Status: '''Living '''Cultural Notes: '''Imps maintain a strong sense of cultural identity stemming from their race's unique history and outlook, few beings can understand the way an Imp experiences the world besides an Imp. Imp folklore claims that their species fled to this world thousands of years ago from a hellish other realm, escaping the rule of cruel overlords too powerful and proud to follow. Whether this story is true or not is impossible to know, even most Imps are unsure anymore. Imp's do not trace their ancestry to any particular region and are spread fairly evenly throughout the world, while seldom a majority they are usually present in any populated area. Imps tend to be open minded free thinkers, willing to give others to benefit of the doubt when possible. Amongst their own kind however they have very high standards for behavior with formal interactions guided by draconian rules of etiquette. Imps tend to have multiple long vaguely ominous sounding names though this is not always the case. They tend to adopt shortened nicknames for dealing with non-imps, though among themselves they use full names with ease. '''Internal Physical Features: *Body formation and systems indicate a origin in Mammalian derivations, though marked deviations are obvious. *Though they have structural similarities, inter-species breeding between Infernal and other Mortalis Genus deviations is rare due to subtle chemical differences and attraction in general, progeny created from such unions are quite rare. *The structure of the brain as well as the neurotransmitters found therein deviate greatly from those of similar species. Imps experience emotions somewhat differently than other species do. Most of what is considered the normal emotional range is experienced by them, with some emotions being muted or enhanced. Of more interest is the fact that Imps experience several additional emotions that are unique to them, these additional states of being are difficult to describe in ways that convey their nuances to those who cannot experience them. *Imp cells age at a consistently slower rate than most other members of the Genus Mortalis, this grants them a life expectancy comparable to Mortuus Genus. On average an Imp can expect to live 175 years on average. *The core internal body temperature of an Imp tends to be on average three to five degrees higher than that which is normally found in living beings. *Blood contains additional chemicals that prevent clotting within the system and increase blood flow. Different chemicals in Imp skin counteract this effect, allowing bleeding to stop in the case of a wound or cut. Imp blood can be used in blood transfusions for other living species, but this non clotting agent can mimic symptoms of Hemophilia while large amounts of blood remain in the system. *Imp skin and flesh is very resistant to heat, far more likely to absorb and harmlessly disperse heat than it is to burn or char. Despite this resistance sustained contact with potent heat sources or very high temperatures can eventually cause burns. An Imp could pluck a hot coal from a fire and continue to hold it as long as they moved it from hand to hand or maintained motion of the ember. Laying down on a bed of coals or placing a blow torch against their flesh would cause burns quickly as in the case of the coals the heat would not be able to disperse effectively and the blow torch would apply temperatures that could not be dispersed with enough speed to prevent burns. *Imps possess additional structures in their eyes that allow them to perceive light wavelengths slightly farther into the Infrared and Ultraviolet edges of the spectrum. This enhanced perception gives Imps slightly improved night vision and awareness of additional colors most other beings lack. External Physical Features: *The structures in their eyes that allow them to perceive further into each end of the light spectrum are visible as an additional ring surrounding the Iris creating a unique doubleing effect. The visibility of this structure varies between individuals and in some cases is barely perceptible. *Imps possess a pair of horns that begin growing shortly after birth and reach mature size shortly after an Imp completes puberty. Imp horns vary greatly in structure and location between individuals, though as these traits are inherited from ones parents horn, characteristics tend to run in families. Horn size can vary greatly but they seldom reach prodigious sizes. For an Imp who breaks or in some other way loses a horn, the process to regrow or repair a horn can be substantial, often three years or much more for a complete removal. *Builds tend to vary greatly between individuals with no one particular body style being dominant. Stereotypes of the agile charming devil are a common stereotype. *Skin coloration tends to be tinged with red and can range from very light with no trace of red or just a rusty dusting to a very dark wine red or deep black. *All Imps possess a prehensile barbed tail that functions as an extension of the spine. Tail length can vary greatly between individuals. Though the limb is fully articulated using it to manipulate objects is viewed as extremely vulgar and is something of a taboo in Imp culture. *Imps fall within the average height and weight ranges of other derivations of the Mortalis Genus. Horrors: ''' '''I. Bale Fire: Imp's have a deep and intrinsic connection to heat and flame. Whether this is truly a remnant of a long ago exodus of the race from some infernal nether realm or not has little bearing on the undeniable potency of this well known Horror. Bale fire allows an Imp to manipulate and eventually produce flames with higher levels of skill. Imp's using this power find themselves fully immunized to the heat of flames they have produced or are controlling. Examinations of the Horror indicate that it functions largely through the manipulation of Autumnal fields that surround the Imp corpus. The exact method by which this is accomplished is difficult to discern as they have no underlying system or bodily structures that seem to be capable of manipulating energy fields in this way. Generating flames causes a measurable spike in the core body temperature of Imps, manipulating flames causes a similar though less intense temperature increase. It is possible that the process originates in the brain as several accounts of Imps experiencing dampening of this Horror after concussions or brain injuries have come forward in recent years. Imps tend to hold this power with a great deal of esteem, endowing it with a depth of cultural significance. To Imp reckoning Bale Fire is nothing less than an art stolen by their people from the hands of infernal masters. II. Gremlin's Caress: Imps are blessed with a natural affinity for manipulating Autumnal fields. The Horror commonly called Gremlin's Caress is less a manipulation of these natural vortices of energy than it is simply whipping them into a fervor and watching what happens. Using this Horror seems to pervert the fluctuations of dormant Autumn fields and have a drastic impact on probability and chance, beyond that, the forces generated have impressive if unpredictable effects on logic and matter itself. The basest use of this Horror simply creates a short lived field of irrationality that causes catastrophic error in all but the simplest of machinery or systems by undercutting the logic they require to function, an effect sometimes likened to a EMP burst though significantly more thorough. The effects of the irrational field become much more material with increased skill potentially altering material substance or physical laws albeit briefly. The most skilled can sometimes narrow the range of potential effects, for instance throwing a handful of sticks and determining that they will become some form of reptiles, one would have no guarantee of what kind of reptiles they would become, or whether they would merge to form one or several. At best one can convey a general idea and hope that the ripple effect generates something similar, though the uncertainty will always remain. Though it can have dramatic effects on inanimate objects this horror has no effect on living things, their Autumnal fields are too solidly maintained to be altered in this way. Even objects altered drastically via this horror will soon revert to their original state once the Imp's attention has wandered elsewhere and ceases maintaining the field. The exact method by which Imps manifest this Horror is unknown, though it has been suggested that it uses the same principal mechanics as Balefire without focusing those abilities on heat and flame. Research has also noted similarities between this horror and Arcane Arts and Crafts that commonly use Symbology and the Gates to produce reliable effects. It has been suggested that Imps may have an innate ability to tap the raw stuff of the Aetherium but have no innate symbolic way to shape the effect beyond their own will and attention. III. Shadow Step: This Horror allows a Imp to meld almost completely with their personal Autumnal Field. Through this process an Imp can literally meld into the very essence of shadows. Though Imps cannot create or manipulate shadows or darkness in any but the subtlest ways, this Horror does allow them to step into suitably sized ones and move through them as thought they had depth. The best explanation for this is that Imp's can use shadows somewhat like water, submerging themselves in the darkness to facilitate movement or stealth. This can allow a Imp to move unseen through a darkened room, or move quickly by partially or fully slipping into shadowy space to reduce the effects of friction. Shadows being effected by this Horror take on an almost fluid substance to the Imp, allowing them to treat them somewhat like thick water. An Imp is strangely fluid while submerged within shadows, able to flow through very slim or weak patches of darkness easily. Though they are more fluid once they have done so, an Imp can only enter shadows through suitably sized openings or pools of darkness, with increased skill an Imp can learn how to stretch smaller shadows into suitable openings. Interestingly while ingress requires an appropriate entrance Imps can force themselves out of submersion through any patch of darkness, this prevents them from being trapped. Should an Imp suddenly be left with no shadows while lurking in them, for example a room that was suddenly lit in such a way that no shadows remained, the Imp would be forcefully and gracelessly ejected back to solidity. Imps have developed a number of interesting uses for this horror from the obvious applications of stealth and speed, to more creative tricks like defending themselves by melding partially into the shadows, thus remaining somewhat able to interact with the physical world yet allowing some strikes and blows to pass through their semi insubstantial form. With skill and practice an Imp can learn to bring one or two others into the shadows with them, though non-Imps seldom have the mental adaptations to properly interpret the experience and most will be nauseated or unnerved by the journey. It has been theorized that Shadow step functions using mechanics similar to the Bogie Horror "Unfound Door", a theory supported by the fact that Bogie's experience little discomfort when submerged in shadows by an Imp. An Imp with skill in Shadow Step treats the process more like an innate physical ability rather than a special power, almost to the point of using it reflexivly.